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stuffed Italian-style cubanelle peppers
Mary's Stuffed Cubanelle Red Peppers Entree Recipe (using rice, onions, mozzarella, Parmesan and eggs)
Originated from: Italy and North America
Occasion: Any time
Contributed by: Mary Melfi

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Ingredients

6 cubanelle red peppers, topped and seeded

for stuffing
2 cups cooked rice
2 yellow onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
1/4 cup Parmesan Reggiano, finely grated
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 tablespoon hot Jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (optional)

for frying and greasing
about 1/4 cup olive oil for frying onions
about 1/8 cup olive oil for brushing peppers

for decoration (optional)
fresh parsley or fresh basil, finely chopped



Directions

Cook 1 cup rice in water until it is soft and good to eat (about 12 minutes). Drain excess water. Cool.

Slice top of peppers and reserve them, making sure that the tops are properly matched as they will be needed when baking.

Remove the pulp and seeds from the peppers (Those peppers with hollow centers, i.e., those peppers whose sides are not stuck together work best for this recipe).

Fry chopped onions until a bit soft.

Add finely chopped garlic cloves and stir.

Add finely chopped Jalapeno peppers (optional), then continue cooking onions until a dark golden color.

Remove from heat. Drain excess oil. Cool.

Beat eggs.

Mix cooked rice and fried onions.

Add beaten eggs.

Add salt and pepper.

Add coarsely grated mozzarella and Parmesan and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Stuff the peppers with the mixture, replacing the tops to the matching bottoms (Use a toothpick to attach them together if they don't adhere, as keeping the two together will avoid drying the rice stuffing, but don't put the toothpick in too deep otherwise it will be hard to find and remove after the peppers are cooked!).

Arrange the stuffed peppers on a baking pan that has been well-greased with olive oil. N.B. Depending on the size of the peppers, a bit of stuffing might be left over (This can be used to stuff any other vegetable of one's choice; the vegetable doesn't necessarily have to be baked, it can be stewed in a sauce.).

Brush some olive oil on the sides and tops of the red cubanelle peppers.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until stuffing is cooked -- about 20 minutes.

Cool.

Remove toothpicks (if used).

Wrap each red pepper with its matching top with plastic wrap and then place in an appropriate container (The plastic wrap will keep the peppers moist.).

Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

After taking them out from the fridge, remove the plastic wrap, and using a sharp serrated knife cut the peppers into thick 1/2-inch slices (The skin of the peppers don't break up if the peppers are cold, but they do if they are cut while they are warm. Also, a serrated knife helps make a smoother cut than a regular kitchen knife.). N.B. The rice stuffing can easily dry if it is exposed to the air for too long, so if one has to slice them a bit ahead of time, it's important to cover the slices with plastic wrap as this will help keep the rice stuffing moist.

Sprinkle some freshly chopped parsley or freshly chopped basil (optional).

Serve at room temperature.






Notes

Cubanelle peppers didn't originate in Italy, so technically this dish is not a traditional Italian one. The reason I used cubanelle peppers instead of bell peppers which are more commonly associated with Italian cookery is because cubanelle peppers are much smaller and thinner, and so are easier to slice and present as an entree dish. However, it's best to use cubanelle peppers that have a large hollow center (rather than those whose ends are stuck together) otherwise they can't be stuffed very well. Personally I find that hot Jalapeno peppers are important to this dish and make it tastier, but could just be me. The nice thing about this dish is that one can prepare it the night before a party, and then slice the peppers just prior to serving, reducing some of the stress involved in preparing a major meal. Comments and photo: Mary Melfi.

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